The Sacramento Kings were narrowly defeated 107-101 by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. Sacramento has only one victory so far in the 2025-26 season. The Kings' offense features talent despite their up and down performance on Tuesday. The defense, however, has struggled. Although there is not one specific move that can save this Kings' defense, [Doug Christie can help matters](https://aroyalpain.com/doug-christie-must-bench-surprising-kings-players-to-win) with a lineup change.
Keon Ellis is [one of the better defenders](https://aroyalpain.com/kings-havent-talked-contract-extension-keon-ellis) on the Kings. He's capable of leading the guards on the roster from a defensive standpoint. Yet, Ellis is only receiving 16 minutes per outing. With limited answers on the defensive end of the floor overall, Ellis could make a significant difference for the Kings.
**Keon Ellis' impact on the Kings**
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Ellis was averaging right around six points and two rebounds per outing heading into Tuesday's matchup with the Thunder. The 25-year-old is currently in his fourth season in the NBA -- all of which have been spent in Sacramento. He received the most playing time of his career a season ago -- recording 24.4 minutes per contest across 80 total games played (28 starts).
It seemed as if Ellis was on the verge of earning an even more consistent role, but instead his minutes have dwindled early in the 2025-26 campaign. Ellis is not going to make a huge impact on the offensive side of the ball, but that's okay when you have players such as Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Dennis Schroder on the roster.
Ellis does not have to start. However, giving him 20-25 minutes off the bench could give the defense a much needed boost. As mentioned, the change certainly would not solve all of the team's defensive concerns. Making the change would only help the situation, though.
**What's next for the Kings?**
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The Kings are set to continue their road trip following their Tuesday loss to the Thunder. Up next is a clash in Chicago with the Bulls on Wednesday -- the second of a back-to-back. The Kings will then play the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday and Denver Nuggets on Monday before returning home to host the Golden State Warriors next Wednesday.
The road trip will prove to be a difficult test. Sacramento may benefit from the early season adversity, however. Perhaps Christie will consider giving Ellis more minutes along the way -- a move that would make sense for the team.
Regardless of how many minutes he receives, Ellis is a player to watch. He features intriguing upside and makes a big impact while on the floor.